2024-08-25 18:35:02
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season was down to the penultimate regular season race at the Daytona International Speedway. Multiple playoff positions were up for grabs entering the first Saturday race of the year.
Daytona did not disappoint.
Seven caution periods saw nearly half of the field taken out of contention, including championship leaders Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson. Kyle Busch, searching for his first win of the year, led the thinned-out field in overtime for the final restart. But Harrison Burton made his way past the two-time champion on the final lap to earn his first career Cup Series win and punch his ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
The big one:NASCAR driver Josh Berry OK after scary, upside down collision with wall during Daytona race
“It’s been the hardest three years of my life and some of these guys’ lives,” Burton said after the race, gesturing to his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford crew. “To win in the way that we just did and beat the best in the business, Kyle Busch, across the line, it’s pretty fantastic.”
Wood Brothers Racing announced Josh Berry will be racing the No. 21 Ford starting next year, leaving Burton without a seat. He now gets to see out his final season with the team in the playoffs after earning their 100th win in team history.
“To get them [win number] 100 on my way out is amazing,” Burton said post-race. “We’re in the playoffs now, let’s go to Darlington and see what happens.”
Busch finished second with Christopher Bell in third. Burton became the 14th winner this season and 13th driver to qualify for the playoffs. Three spots still remain in contention next weekend in the regular season finale in Darlington.
Penalty stands:Appeals panel upholds NASCAR penalty to Austin Dillon after crash-filled win
2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 highlights
A relatively calm early opening part of the race saw Josh Berry win Stage 1. Daniel Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet had the biggest early surprise when fuel caught fire during the first pit stops and spread to his rear bumper.
Lap 60 saw the first crash of the race when Corey Lajoie and Noah Gragson made contact and collected 18 cars.
Joey Logano won Stage 2 on as Ford drivers spent most of the race in control at the front. Things stayed relatively uneventful until Lap 150 when polesitter Michael McDowell spun and caused another big wreck.
Seven laps later, leaders Austin Cindric and Berry made contact, causing the latter to flip onto the roof of the No. 4 Ford.
That led to an overtime restart with Burton grabbing the win from a late pass on Busch.
Burton beats Busch to the line
A final-lap pass gave Harrison Burton the lead and he’d hold on for his first career Cup Series win.
Green flag with two to go
Kyle Busch is in the lead with Christopher Bell close behind and pushing him.
Overtime in Daytona
Seven caution periods have thinned out the field. Kyle Busch, Harrison Burton, Christopher Bell, and Parker Retzlaff fill out the first two rows with nearly half the field out of the race.
Another big wreck on Lap 158
Contact at the front between Josh Berry and Austin Cindric caused another big wreck. Berry flipped the No. 4 Ford but he later exited the car and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd.
Lap 157: Cindric vs. Berry at the front
The restart sees Cindric leading the way with three laps to go.
Cindric, McDowell contact triggers wreck
Austin Cindric had too much speed from Josh Berry pushing him from behind and went to move down the lane but clipped McDowell, sending him around and up while collecting another dozen cars.
Another big wreck on Lap 150
The leaders made contact in turn 3 with the likes of Michael McDowell, Joey Logano, and Kyle Larson involved.
Keselowski called for violation
The RFK Racing driver launched too early and passed Cindric before the start-finish line on the restart. He went through the pits on Lap 148 to serve his penalty.
Lap 144: Cindric leads the way
Austin Cindric leads Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson after the caution period and final pit stops.
NASCAR overtime rules
NASCAR wants to finish races under green as much as possible. Because of that, overtime is allowed if there’s a late caution period (within the final two laps of the finish). The race will be extended through the caution period if it goes past the original lap allotment. Once it ends, there will be at least two laps of racing.
Lap 140: Haley, Nemechek make contact
The leaders made contact when Nemechek moved down to the bottom lane after a tap from Kyle Larson. Nemechek spun but maintained control and is back up to speed.
Lap 135: Toyotas on the move
Nemechek’s joined by Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace in the top five. Justin Haley leads ahead of Josh Berry, Bell, Nemechek, and Wallace.
Martin Truex Jr. pits again due to puncture
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is having a rough day in Daytona and now sits four laps down.
Lap 120: Justin Haley takes the lead
The 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner swept into the bottom lane to take the lead from McDowell.
Lap 118: Close moment between Cindric, Berry
Cindric had a small snap of steering and nearly hit Berry in the top lane.
Lap 110: John Hunter Nemechek on the rise
The lone Legacy Motor Club driver left in the race is up to third after starting 31st. He’s behind Michael McDowell and Justin Haley at the front of the field.
Lap 100: McDowell back in the lead
Polesitter Michael McDowell was big climber during the pit stops and leads the way to start the final stage ofthe Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Another round of pit stops
Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. stayed out as the rest of the field pitted to save an extra lap of fuel. Kyle Busch and Harrison Burton benefitted from the stops and are now third and sixth, respectively.
Stage 2 results
- Joey Logano
- Ryan Blaney
- Brad Keselowski
- Kyle Larson
- Todd Gilliland
- Justin Haley
- Kyle Busch
- William Byron
- Chris Buescher
- Bubba Wallace
Lap 89: Green flag racing once again
Kyle Larson and Joey Logano lead the field with seven laps to go in Stage 2.
Lap 84: Full list of drivers out of the Coke Zero Sugar 400
- Daniel Suárez
- Ryan Preece
- Denny Hamlin
- Noah Gragson
- Chase Elliott
- Shane van Gisbergen
Erik Jones capitalizes on caution
The No. 43 car suffered a puncture and used the yellow flag period from van Gisbergen’s engine failure to stay on the lead lap.
Engine failure for Shane van Gisbergen
The full-time Xfinity Series driver was in good position near the top 10 before the engine gave out in spectacular fashion. This was his first race in the Cup Series since the Grant Park 165.
Close moment for Austin Cindric
Cindric nearly lost control of his No. 2 Ford after contact with Kyle Larson. Cindric dropped down below the three racing lines to gather himself and stay in it. He’s down to 19th on Lap 80 from second prior to the contact.
Lap 77: Logano in the lead again
The Team Penske driver has led the most laps so far tonight and is out front once again ahead of teammates Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney.
Chase Elliott with first DNF of the season
The Hendrick Motorsports driver was in contention for the regular season championship but the Lap 60 wreck took him out. This marks his first DNF of 2024.
Lap 67 restart
Buescher and RFK Racing teammate Brad Keselowski lead the field as the track goes green.
18 cars involved in first wreck of the race
Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman, and more than a dozen others are assessing the damage to see if they can return to the race.
Buescher, Blaney benefit from caution pit stops
Buescher takes the lead after a round of pit stops following Gragson’s wreck. Blaney is up five spots and into the top 10 of the order.
Lap 60: First crash of the race
The first contact finally happened as chaos breaks out outside the top 10. Noah Gragson made contact after a big push from Corey Lajoie and Kyle Larson and collected multiple cars. Denny Hamlin is one of the most notable names to be knocked out of the race as the Coke Zero Sugar 400 is now under caution.
Lap 46: Bubba Wallace making a run up the order
After biding his time much through Stage 1, Wallace made a late push to be near the top 10 prior to pitting. He’s now in the lead after the first round of pit stops and using the higher lanes to stay in front.
Lap 42: Penske drivers working together
Joey Logano gets a push from Austin Cindric into the lead in the higher lane of the field.
Lap 38: Daniel Suárez out of the race after fire
Suárez returned back to pit road after his stop when the No. 99 car caught on fire. Suárez safely exited the car and the Trackhouse Racing crew put the fire out quickly in pit road. Replay showed spilled fuel from Suárez’s pit stop caught fire from Denny Hamlin, ultimately burning the No. 99 car.
Stage 1 results
After 35 laps, here’s how the top 10 looked at the end of Stage 1:
- Josh Berry
- Joey Logano
- Chris Buescher
- Austin Cindric
- Ryan Blaney
- Todd Gilliland
- Brad Keselowski
- Michael McDowell
- William Byron
- Kyle Larson
Lap 27: Austin Cindric out in front
The Team Penske driver used the high line to move to the front before dropping back a few places in the closing laps of Stage 1.
Erik Jones charging towards the front
The Legacy Motor Club driver is up 22 positions from the start as the top passer so far through lap 22.
Lap 16: Logano out in front
The Ally 400 winner is using the top two lines to lead the field, moving between the two on the straights.
Lap 14: William Byron moving up the order
The Hendrick Motorsports driver’s now up in the front of the bottom lane before Berry went high to get the lead as they cross the start-finish line.
Lap 8: Leaders jumping across lanes
McDowell’s moved up the track to the highest lane, leaving the lower spots open for Brad Keselowski and Josh Berry. Keselowski’s now up to the lead in the lowest lane.
Lap 5: Drivers in three lanes
Austin Cindric’s leading a third line highest on the oval. McDowell and Todd Gilliland lead the bottom and middle lanes, respectivel.y
Race start: Coke Zero Sugar 400
The green flag flies as Michael McDowell leads an all-RFK Racing front row to start the race.
NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400: How to watch
- Date: Aug. 24, 2024
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Daytona International Speedway
- TV: NBC
- Streaming:Peacock, NBCSports.com, fuboTV
NASCAR Cup Series:Catch all the action from the 2024 Cup Series playoffs with a Peacock subscription
Ken Griffey Jr. on the grid
Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. was spotted pre-race with 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.
Who is starting on the pole in the NASCAR race at Daytona?
RFK Racing’s Michael McDowell is starting on pole position for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
What is the lineup for Saturday’s NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400?
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
2. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
3. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
4. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
5. (4) Josh Berry, Ford
6. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
7. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
8. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
9. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
10. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
11. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
12. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
13. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
14. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
15. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford
16. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
17. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
18. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
19. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
20. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
21. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
22. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
23. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet
24. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
25. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
26. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
27. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
28. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet
29. (62) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet
30. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet
31. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
32. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
33. (15) Cody Ware, Ford
34. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
35. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
36. (51) Justin Haley, Ford
37. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
38. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
39. (44) Joey Gase, Chevrolet
40. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
Which winless drivers are on the bubble to make the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, and Chris Buescher are separated by just 16 points. Only two will be able to make the playoffs unless there’s a new winner for 2024 who is currently behind them on points.
When do the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start?
The Cup Series playoffs begin on Sunday, Sept. 8 with the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here’s the full playoff schedule:
Round of 16
- Sept. 8: Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart | Atlanta Motor Speedway | 3 p.m. ET | USA Network
- Sept. 15: Go Bowling at The Glen | Watkins Glen International | 3 p.m. ET | USA Network
- Sept. 21: Bass Pro Shops Night Race | Bristol Motor Speedway | 7:30 p.m. ET | USA Network
Round of 12
- Sept. 29: Hollywood Casino 400 presented by ESPN BET | Kansas Speedway | 3 p.m. ET | USA Network
- Oct. 6: YellaWood 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | 2 p.m. ET | NBC
- Oct. 13: Bank of America Roval 400 | Charlotte Motor Speedway (Roval) | 2 p.m. ET | NBC
Round of 8
- Oct. 20: South Point 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 2:30 p.m. ET | NBC
- Oct. 27: Straight Talk Wireless 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | 2:30 p.m. ET | NBC
- Nov. 3: Xfinity 500 | Martinsville Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | NBC
Championship 4
- Nov. 10: NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race | Phoenix Raceway | 3 p.m. ET | NBC
What races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season?
After the Coke Zero Sugar 400, there’s just one race left in the regular season: the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Round 26 of the Cup Series schedule is the final push for the playoffs.
Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup race at Daytona?
William Byron won the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 19, 2024, taking the lead on a restart with four laps remaining before edging Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman as a crash broke out just as Byron took the white flag for the final lap.
Who won the most recent NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400?
RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher won the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400.
How many drivers have won NASCAR Cup races in the 2024 season?
Through 25 championship races in 2024, 13 different drivers have won a NASCAR Cup race, including:
- William Byron (Daytona 500, EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, Cook Out 400)
- Daniel Suárez (Ambetter Health 400)
- Kyle Larson (Pennzoil 400, AdventHealth 400, Toyota/Save Mart 350, Brickyard 400)
- Christopher Bell (Shriners Children’s 500, Coca-Cola 600, USA Today 301)
- Denny Hamlin (Food City 500, Toyota Owners 400, Würth 400)
- Chase Elliott (Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400)
- Tyler Reddick (GEICO 500, FireKeepers Casino 400)
- Brad Keselowski (Goodyear 400)
- Austin Cindric (Enjoy Illinois 300)
- Ryan Blaney (Iowa Corn 350, Great American Getaway 400)
- Joey Logano (Ally 400)
- Alex Bowman (Grant Park 165)
- Austin Dillon* (Cook Out 400)
*= Dillon won the race but had playoff eligibility removed for it.
Logano and Ty Gibbs won the NASCAR All-Star Race and NASCAR All-Star Open, respectively, but neither race counts towards the championship.
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Daytona?
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is 160 laps around the 2.5-mile track for a total of 400 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 35 laps; Stage 2: 60 laps; Stage 3: 65 laps.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 on?
The NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 will be broadcast on NBC.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400?
You can watch a live stream of the NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Peacock and fuboTV.
What is the weather forecast for the NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 race at Daytona?
Today’s forecast from AccuWeather predicts temperatures in the mid-80s with a 49% chance of rain at 7 p.m. ET.
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